The Fourth Wall Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Elizabeth Maria Naranjo

Everyone’s a Critic; It’s a Good Thing

Posted on July 4, 2014 ·

Image from Flickr by See-ming Lee

I used to be reluctant about posting reviews to Amazon and Goodreads, but I got over it because book reviews serve the entire reading community: readers, writers, bookstores, publishers, librarians–anyone who cares about books wants them discussed.

Authors need book reviews, particularly on Amazon, because the more reviews they have, the higher they rank in Amazon’s search engine. In other words, the book becomes more visible. Like a brick-and-mortar bookstore, the more “buzz” a book has the more likely it is to be shelved in a prominent place where people actually see it.

So why was I once resistant to posting reviews? Several reasons.

PRIVACY: Not that long ago, I was an unpublished writer. Although I wanted my name out there as a byline, I didn’t like the idea of it being public in any other way. The only social media site I really used was Facebook, because I thought, back then, I could guard my privacy on it. Go ahead. Laugh.

Then, at a writer’s conference, a social media expert asked us if we’d ever Googled ourselves. It had never occurred to me, but I do remember thinking with total confidence that nothing would show up in a Google search of my name. Because I so fiercely protected my privacy and all. Later, I did the search and was shocked and utterly horrified to see, plain as day, a comment I’d made on Facebook show up. MY comment. On the INTERNET. Go ahead. Laugh.

I’ve finally gotten over commenting in public forums. In fact, I love Twitter, and I enjoy blogging. But this was unimaginable to me even a year ago.

How I got over it: By getting over myself. The world isn’t watching and waiting to pick apart my Facebook comments. It’s not going to be scrutinizing my book reviews either.

CONFUSION: The system of rating books confused me. I thought: how can I give a 5-star rating to Pride and Prejudice and also to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? I love them both, but can I place J.K. Rowling at the same level as Jane Austen?

How I got over it: I stopped over-thinking it. Really, the rating system is quite simple: Five stars means you loved it. Four stars means you really liked it. Three stars means you thought it was okay. I love Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and I love Pride and Prejudice; therefore, they both get 5-star ratings.

ETHICS: Because I’m a writer and I know a lot of authors, I worried about getting caught in this tangled web of ethics. If I read a Stephen King book and I think the plotting is slow and the characters are made of cardboard, I can give it a 3-star rating and explain why. I’m not worried about hurting Stephen King’s feelings. He’s not going to read my review.

But what about authors I know? Of course they’re going to read my reviews. What if I’m not planning on reading an author’s book but then he reads my book and gives it a glowing review and 5-star rating? What if I then read his book out of obligation but feel it’s only worthy of a 3-star rating? This sounds easy–you owe it to the readers to be honest. But, believe me, it’s harder than it sounds.

How I got over it: I honestly haven’t yet. The compromise I’ve come up with is this: If I liked or loved a book, I’ll rate it and (one day when I’m caught up) review it. I’ll be honest about what I liked and didn’t like.

If I hate a book I’m not finishing it, so that’s my out when it comes to 1- or 2-star reviews. It’s the 3-star reviews that still throw me. But if an author I know gave me a 3-star review and explained why (didn’t like the main character, plotting was slow), I can’t imagine holding it against her.

In fact, all I want are honest reviews and ratings. I’m not going to hound you for them—if you’ve read The Fourth Wall, I’m already very grateful for your time. 🙂 But if you would be willing to post a review, here’s a link, and hopefully this post explains a bit why they’re so important.

Remember, you don’t have to be a professional book critic to tell people why you liked, or loved, a book. You just have to be a reader with an opinion that you’re willing to share.

P.S. Why, no, the photo has NOTHING to do with the post. But isn’t it CUTE?!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: amazon, book ratings, book reviews, The Fourth Wall

Thanks, and an Invitation

Posted on June 20, 2014 ·

Image from Flickr by jenosaur

It’s been a wild few weeks, and it’s about to get even crazier. So I just want to stop for a minute and say THANK YOU to all of you.

I mean it. You guys are amazing. You’ve showed support by visiting this blog, chatting with me on Facebook and even sharing my posts. Some of you have already RSVP’d to the launch party in July, and many of you have bought copies of The Fourth Wall.

My friend Jason in Cheyenne, Wyoming posted a Facebook selfie with the book after it arrived, which was so cool. The girl I shared a locker with in seventh grade was one of the first people to buy the book, read it, and share her thoughts. And last weekend a friend at work brought in her copy, which was the first copy purchased off the shelf from Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe. Yes, I peeked several times throughout the day to see which scene Melissa was on.

Your enthusiasm means a lot to me. So thank you.

In late July, I’ll be going on a blog tour, which means I’ll be visiting about a dozen blogs over the course of a month to talk about The Fourth Wall and participate in interviews and giveaways. I’ll also be showing up on a few other websites to discuss topics in the book, like lucid dreaming. The idea for the blog stops is to introduce the book to new readers and generate excitement.

I’m sensitive to the fact that author promotion can be overwhelming and redundant for friends and family, so I’m going to try and be very careful about how much and how often I share, especially on Facebook.

IF you absolutely don’t want to miss a thing, pop your email address into the subscription box below or to your right, or leave me a comment/let me know privately that you’d like to subscribe to email updates. I generally post to the blog only two or three times per month, and never more than once a week, so your inbox won’t get cluttered on my account. 🙂 And of course, you can unsubscribe at any time.

In the posts, you’ll get all the updates: links to interviews, photos, reviews, upcoming signings and author events, everything and anything related to the launch for The Fourth Wall. And I’ll keep you updated on my other projects too (short stories, essays, new novel) and occasionally host other authors, post my own book reviews, and just talk bookish/writerly stuff.

What do you say? Join me?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: blog tour, blogging, book launch, book promotion, lucid dreaming, publishing, The Fourth Wall

Release Day!

Posted on June 10, 2014 ·

Today’s the day! The official release date for The Fourth Wall. THANK YOU for all of your support–so many people have come through for me, and I couldn’t have done it without you.

Here’s more information on the book and how to get a copy. 🙂

“The dream sequences in The Fourth Wall are skillfully told; some are beautiful, some are terrifying–all are intriguing.”
–Rebecca Lloyd, award-winning author of The View from Endless Street and other short story collections

Book Description

When Marin was little and monsters chased her through nightmares, she learned to weave her own dreams. Her mother called the lucid dreaming a gift, and when an accident takes her mother and leaves her baby brother an empty shell, Marin uses this gift to spin a new reality for herself. One without time or sorrow. A world without memory.

But just when Marin thinks she’s safe in her make-believe fantasy world, the monsters come back and her dream turns to a nightmare. Something in the dream doesn’t want Marin to wake up. In order to heal herself and her family, Marin must face the truth she’s forgotten and conquer what lies behind the fourth wall.

Release Date: June 10, 2014
Format: Paperback
Publisher: WiDo Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-937178-51-2
Price: $15.99

Copies will be available at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe on June 11!

Also, save the date: Changing Hands is hosting the LAUNCH PARTY on Tuesday, July 8. More information HERE.

If you want a signed copy of The Fourth Wall and you can’t attend the launch party, call Changing Hands Bookstore to pre-order a personalized copy: 480-730-0205

*The Fourth Wall may or may not be on the shelf at your local bookstore. If it’s not, you can request that it be ordered. The more demand for a book, the greater the chance a bookstore will stock it.

For Online Ordering:
Order from Changing Hands Bookstore
Order from Amazon
Order from Barnes & Noble
Buy on Kindle for $3.99

To enter the Goodreads giveaway, click HERE.

Finally, and once again, thank you. And happy reading!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: book launch, Changing Hands Bookstore, launch party, The Fourth Wall, writing

Party Time!

Posted on June 6, 2014 ·

Image from Flickr by foxypar4

It’s hard to believe, but the launch date for The Fourth Wall is less than a week away. I remember scribbling in a little spiral notepad the idea for this book nearly three years ago. I still have the notes, and it’s funny to look back at my original vision and see how much has changed. The only thing I seemed to know for sure was how it would end.

That’s the great part about writing fiction–you can choose your own endings. When it comes to publishing fiction, at least in the traditional sense, you can work hard to influence the ending but you don’t get to choose it. Ultimately it’s up to a publisher whether or not your book ends up on bookshelves, so when you get that kind of happy ending, you have to throw a party.

You’ll come help me celebrate, right? OF COURSE you’re invited. And I’m bringing cupcakes…

BOOK LAUNCH PARTY FOR THE FOURTH WALL
Tuesday, July 8 at 7 p.m.
Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 S McClintock Dr.
Tempe, Arizona

Reading, Signing, Cool Giveaways

And did I mention cupcakes?

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: book launch party, Changing Hands Bookstore, publishing, The Fourth Wall, WiDo Publishing, writing

Prepared to Launch! Or Not

Posted on May 9, 2014 ·

Image from Flickr by cameraslayer

The month before a book release feels a lot like the final month of a pregnancy. Obviously not the physical aspects like swollen ankles and freakish ballooning belly, although there are the occasional moments of shortness of breath, triggered by the knowledge that something intimate and protected inside you will soon be exposed.

But it’s more the sense that you’re rushing toward a conclusion and a beginning, and that you’re ready for neither. You’re afraid and insecure and hopeful and exhilarated. You’re caught in a mess of daydreams—there are a hundred things left to do and you can’t focus on even one.

I remember the first time I walked into a Babies-R-Us, feeling incredibly alone. I stood in that enormous store, wielding a gray scanner, and wondered what on earth to choose. The girls throwing my baby shower told me to scan everything I needed; people love buying baby gifts, they said. But I didn’t know what I needed.

One mother told me a crib was absolutely necessary; another scoffed and said, “Sure, they make great laundry baskets.” One friend advised me to pick a changing table, but I’d read that babies have a tendency to roll off of those. (Now that I’ve been through it twice, I can tell you that the only piece of new furniture a mother needs is a good rocking chair.)

Trying to prepare for a book launch is just as confusing. Everyone who’s been through it has a different opinion. There are so many things you CAN do, but which ones are really necessary? Press releases, press kits, blog tours, radio interviews, launch parties, social media, book signings, blog posts, giveaways, speaking engagements, conferences, festivals, bookmarks, book charms, postcards, flyers—the list goes on.

It’s easy to become paralyzed by so many choices, and to think, “I’ve waited a long time for this day and I’m SO ready for it to be here but…WAIT, I’m not ready!”

Too bad. June is coming, and it’s going to be crazy, and it’s going to be great. And at least I got the bookmarks.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: book launch, publishing, The Fourth Wall, writing

On Dreams

Posted on April 11, 2014 ·

Image from Flickr by Marshmallow

I received an email the other day from my managing editor, saying the final edit of The Fourth Wall was attached and could I fill in the dedication page and the acknowledgments page?

Sure, I could do that. (Are you kidding me?!)

But first I thought I’d check the book over. One last time, you know. Because two years maybe wasn’t enough time to edit it, because maybe there was something I missed.

I have never read through this novel without wanting to change something. Why is that? Some short stories I look back on and think, “If I had a chance to edit this again, I don’t think I’d change anything.” There aren’t many like that, but I can think of two. (Both are written from a male point-of-view. Sections of The Fourth Wall are also written from a male point-of-view, and those are my favorite scenes. I hope you’ll tell me yours.)

Perhaps a novel is just too big for a writer to see clearly. Whatever the case, it doesn’t matter, because it’s too late to make changes. The copy I have now is the one you’ll be reading in June. 😉

It’s hard to describe how vulnerable that makes me feel, although I suppose a good analogy would be that dream you used to have where you’re naked on the school playground. Remember that one?

Oh, but don’t feel sorry for me. I had the audacity to write a book and ask you to read it. I’m ready to submit to your judgment. So, speaking of dreams–I want to introduce you to a girl named Marin. She’s a lucid dreamer—someone who can create and control her own dreamworlds.

At least she thinks she can.

[click here to meet Marin]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Dreams, editing, point-of-view, The Fourth Wall, writing